Rescue
by Cat488
Summary: Just a quick glimpse on the rescue of Sir Gwaine and Sir Elyan from Morgana's clutches.


Okay, so the good thing was that they had successfully managed to infiltrate the castle and break their friends out.

The not so good thing was that Gaius was on the verge of death, both Gwaine and Elyan looked worse for wear, and the four knights and Physician were currently trapped in an empty guest room inside the castle, having been forced to hide from Morgana's army. It wasn't that Leon and Percival couldn't fight them, but with a dying man in Percival's arms and two knights that could hardly stand... well, let's just say it made fighting their way out of the castle a tad bit harder.

As it was, they at least held a better chance in survival than the others, who must have arrived in Morgana's chambers by now. Not that that was any more comforting. Percival slowly set Gaius down onto the floor as Leon and Elyan moved to barricade the door. It would be a while until the soldiers found them, and judging by the way Gwaine slid to the ground, eyes closed and looking even paler than before, Percival decided that it was definitely a good thing. Shifting Gaius one more time, the tall knight moved to kneel beside Gwaine.

"You alright there, man?"

A soft grumble was his only reply, only adding to Percival's concerns. Gwaine had been lively when him and Leon had arrived at their cell, but it hadn't taken long for the energy to leave, it seemed.

"Is he okay?"

Percival looked up to Leon, who mirrored his own concern, then tilted his head to see the barricaded door and Elyan who sat beside it, head right up against the wall and panting slightly. He looked back down at Gwaine, who was as still as he'd ever seen him. Percival wasn't a doctor, but neither of them looked good to him at the moment.

Elyan was the one who ended up answering the blond knight, voice strained, "He's just exhausted."

Leon snorted. That seemed like an understatement.

"And you? You alright? Aside from having been locked up with Gwaine for a week, that is."

Elyan laughed, though perhaps it was slightly forced. "Yeah, I'm alright. Or I will be, when I get a bed and a shower and some food. But okay." Nodding his head towards Gaius and Gwaine, he added, "Better than those two, at least."

Leon looked at Percival, who shared the same look. Elyan wouldn't admit to weakness, even now. Sighing, Leon turned back to Gwaine and knelt in front of him, right beside Percival. He wasn't going to be able to carry him and fight Morgana's men. He needed the rugged knight conscious, at the very least.

"Gwaine?"

No answer.

"Come on, buddy. Give me something here." Percival nudged the pale knight with his knee.

Gwaine made another groaning noise before opening his eyes.

"Can no one have any peace and quiet anymore?"

Percival laughed as Leon and Elyan smiled silently. There was the Gwaine they knew.

"You okay there?" Leon repeated.

"Yeah. M'good." It was a blatant lie, obviously, but it meant that when Morgana's men arrived, Gwaine would be able to make it out the door. Though it didn't erase Leon's concerns for Gwaine's health, it meant a chance in survival. They wouldn't be able to leave the castle with two invalids. Leon smiled to himself, despite their current situation. Gwaine would be furious at the thought of being considered as an "invalid".

"Okay, mate."

Gwaine had already closed his eyes once again. Leon looked towards Elyan.

"What has she been doing to him?" He could understand how starvation and dehydration would cause exhaustion, and the three prisoners had obviously been starved But the bruises peeping out of Gwaine's shirt and the purple spot on his jaw- and by God, were those fingerprints on his neck - had not gone unnoticed. Had Morgana tortured them? Of course she had. The evidence was in Elyan's unnaturally glintless eyes and Gwaine's closed ones. Anger swelled in Leon's chest.

"He had it rough. Morgana - well, I think she found Gwaine...entertaining. Had him fight her troops. Almost everyday."

"She's sick." Percival muttered. Neither of them asked Elyan what Morgana had done to him. Obviously, he wouldn't be answering them anytime soon. They would just have to ask Gwaine when he looked less on the brink of death.

"Yeah, but we knew that already, didn't we?" Gwaine joined into their conversation, eyes still closed, but apparently not unconscious yet.

Well, at least he hadn't lost his sense of humour.

"'Course we did. She - " He was cut off by the stomping sounds of Morgana's troops. They had found them.

"Well, they're not a stealthy bunch, are they?" Gwaine smirked his half smirk that only Gwaine could pull off at a time like this. Grunting, the rugged knight opened his eyes and picked himself up from the ground. Swaying once again, and obviously not feeling as well as he sounded, his knees buckled and would have fallen face first had Leon not rushed to his side once again, arms wrapping around his waist and dragging him back up.

Gwaine groaned, "I'm getting tired of this damsel in distress thing, you know."

Leon snorted once again. "Distress? Most certainly. Damsel? Not quite."

Percival, who had already picked up Gaius, grinned, before eyeing Elyan to make sure he was alright by himself. "And here I thought Arthur was the princess."

More foot stomps.

"Well, let's get a move on, shall we?"

Leon adjusted Gwaine at his side, trying to find a less uncomfortable hold of him, and moved to open the door. Wasn't like they had much of a choice, he supposed.

"Move we shall."


End file.
